goggles and tophats: a steampunk january

Dawn, mistress of The Inked Stamper, organized a January 10-tag swap.  Theme: steampunk.  The talent that makes up our tag swap team is astounding and, in some ways, frightening.  We have our new tag assignment for February: shabby chic and I will admit, the level of creative aptitude in the group has given me a good swift kick in the pants to step up my tag-designing game. 

I built my January tags around a steampunk owl die-cut (a cherished Christmas gift) and a steampunk blueprint image.  The embossed gears sizzix texture trades embossing folder) were lightly painted  with taupe, green and metallic copper to give the tag a worn oxidized metal composition.  I highlighted some of the gears in silver metallic markers to add some contrast. The owl was embossed with black embossing powder and I added graphic 45 cling stamp wings to give him a bit of flight.

Owl is perched on a memory box tree die cut which I also embossed using the sizzix texture trades embossing folder.  The two utility lights (craftsman #2 cling stamp) in the corner were stamped onto white tissue paper (bottom layer) and vintage white cardstock and highlighted with copper and gold metallic markers.

Mr. everythingshetouches was adamant that every good steampunk character needs a tophat and goggles.  I hand-cut the tophat(dylusions couture clear stamps) out of grey cardstock and highlighted it with silver metallic marker.  The goggles were punch-cut circles on green cardstock and I dipped the top of a screw into black and silver ink and paint and pressed it onto the circles.  Owl's eye was embellished with a bolt from a stash of IKEA findings.  I desperately hope that the findings are extras included in the packaging in the event of loss and not bits missed in the instructions and required to hold our IKEA furniture together.

Coming soon:  5 templates for 42 Valentine's Day tags.  I'm finishing up the last of the fifth template and cannot wait to share them with you.  I truly enjoyed the process for both the steampunk and Valentine's Day swap.  I have grown accustomed to designing very little and reproducing mass quantities of each component.  It feels strange and exhilarating to have to go back to the table with a fresh slate and design new templates.

Remember you can follow along on my journey by adding everythingshetouchespamk to your favourite blog feeder.  If you would like for me to follow you, in return, let me know in the comments below.  Your talent inspires me.

another prima birthday

I designed and crafted this card for my sister-in-law's birthday with a few self-inflicted "had-to-includes".  The card had to include Prima.  If I had to redesign the Prima Doll to better reflect my sister-in-law and her personality I would replace the stilettos with soccer cleats.  Beautiful, elegant and tough.

It had to include my first new find:  Marvy Uchida snow marker.  The snow marker is like a hedonists' chia-pet dream.  Add heat and watch grow in far less time than it takes to grow a grassy critter.  I highlighted the ruffle on Prima's skirt with the snow marker for a little whimsy.

The banners on the right were distressed in with vintage photo Distress Ink.  The popped-up dots accent the corner.

The card had to include my second new find: Viva Decor Inka Gold paint.  The texture alone is enough to keep me in crafting bliss.  Messy, intimate.  Good, good fun.

It had to include the Silhouette vintage old chair.  The chair was mine as soon as I discovered it.  No stops to the wishlist, no hesitation, didn't pass Go.  In the checkout before you can say vintage old chair.

I cut the chair out of grunge paper, distressed it with Distress Ink vintage photo and highlighted the edges with gold
Viva Decor Inka paint.

The chair cushions are part of the Silhouette chair design which I also cut out of grunge paper, covered with cardstock taken from the Recollections: Tattered and Worn paper pad and gently curved to give it a more 3D effect.

 

The new year has kicked off a crafting frenzy so stay tuned for the outcomes.  I have been informed that I must create 42 Valentine's Day cards/tags for a card/tag exchange (I love you regardless and I will not disappoint in terms of effort) and asked to join the Inked Stamper's Steampunk 10-tag swap.  Over 50 tags between now and the beginning of February is a challenge, preparing for Alex's birthday party and crafting 50 tags is a venture. But I cannot wait to share them all with you.  

Sneak-peak preview: I purchased some Octopode Factory stamps and I joined a Junk Journal group which means, yes, there is junk in the tag and I have a growing stack of pieces that need some upcycling.  Follow me on your favourite RSS feed application and you won't miss any exciting updates.

an owl in the forest holiday tag

I whipped up two of these tags to add to cookie jars filled with pumpkin cookies I had baked for some friends.  Creating is so easy when you have a good foundation or background.  I adore the over-sized Prima tags.  They have great weight, interesting detail and the perfect hue for a non-interfering background.  

Creating is also easy when you have great product to play with.  I pulled out my brand new marvy snow marker pen and Tim Holtz layering Holly Bough stencil both of which really pulled the tag together.  I sponged on peeled paint distress ink and watercolour painted the owl with weathered wood.  The berries were coloured in with red marker and highlighted with picket fence distress marker.

I stained vintage ribbon with festive berries distress ink in part giving it a messy candy cane appearance.

I'm off to have cocoa and marshmallows.  Stay warm fellow crafters (if you're in the northern hemisphere) and keep popping in. 

stampotique birthday boy

Stampotique Twinkie is hanging onto the banner for my coworker's birthday card.  Is it any surprise that Stampotique is on my short-list of very much loved stamps.  I adore the intricacy of Daniel Torrents' designs and the whimsy of Jill Penney, Kira Nichols and Jo Capper-Sandon.

I fashioned a little birthday hat out of washi tape for Twinkie and coloured him in with markers.  The background is weathered wood and vintage photo distress inks.  Recognize my much loved brick stencil?  It definitely has gotten its fair share of use lately.

The banner:

The card has some nice dimension.  It was fun adding a little free-hand and I love the birthday hat. 

We're right in the middle of the holiday season and I have to admit the past week has been on the craft-slow side.  I have two winter layouts floating around in my head and I have to break the seal on my newly received Gelli plate gift.  My hesitation is mainly due to time commitment and partly due to perfectionism.  Silly.

Alex and I have been spending a lot of time in the science world.  He received the Smithsonian series for Chanukah and I bought a science kit from Scholastic.  Hours of incredible fun.  Does the baking soda/vinegar reaction (both in test tube and on a four-year old's face) ever get old?  Seriously.  We did that experiment three days ago and he's still talking about it.  Now we're trying to grow navy beans, we excavated a T-Rex and Alex built a 100 piece puzzle all on his own.  The excavation layout will come eventually - watch for it.  I have a crazy idea using a live photo from our Royal Tyrell Museum trip.  It will be something similar to the graffiti tag I made in June 2013.

Thanks for stopping in and I hope that your holiday season is filled with joy, laughter and lots of wonder.

snowman tag swap

Mr. snowman is a Stampotique favourite of mine.  His long branch-y arms allow for some really fun additions like carrying presents.  The everythingshetouches family celebrates both Chanukah and Christmas in our home; like Ben Stiller says, "any holiday where we get presents is celebrated" and I would add food .. any holiday that offers great holiday dishes is worth celebrating.  Turkey, cranberry sauce and potato latkes are pretty decadent and divine.  Mr. snowman is not as jolly as Santa but he's got a really great toque. 

The complete set:

And the back:

I had a great time entering the tag swap.  There is something relaxing and cathartic in generating the same tag and tag elements over and over again.  Very relaxing.  This was a 10-tag swap.  I just found out yesterday that I have upward of 40 cards/tags to get done for St. Valentine's Day.  Ouch.  I was scolded with affection to get them done and so I will.  Eager to beat the last minute rush I went shopping today for some inspiration and product.  Yes, I realise that we haven't even finished up with Christmas and New Year's yet but I thought I might at least come up with some of the 5 templates (I'm going with 5 different tag templates) if not any of the product.  If you have an idea that you would like to share I would be more than happy to, um, borrow it. 

And now that the temperature has really dropped and the forecast promises a week full of snow (not exaggerating) I'm starting to feel the need to cozy up with a cuppa chai latte, a good book and turn on the holiday lights.  It's time to hunker down for the winter, snuggle up with mr. everythingshetouches (you were right dear, it does sound naughty) and start on some winter layouts.  I have the elements of a great layout.  I can't wait to put it together and show it to you.

Stay warm and happy crafting.

indoor meets outdoor .. a birthday wish

I designed my coworker's birthday card around the birdcage stencil and Tim Holtz/Ranger distress glitter.  If you haven't yet used the Tim Holtz distress glitter, and you're a fan of glitter and glittery things, you must give it a try.  It has a remarkable quality and finish.

I fell in love with the birdcage stencil the moment I saw it.  It has such a delicate and versatile presence.  I am already making plans to use it in more projects.  The only issue: time.  Between now and the end of the year (can you believe saying that in a sentence with any legitimate meaning?  Seriously.  Where did the year go?) there are so many other projects to finish up.  My more realistic goal: Finish up all of the projects which I have started or require some reparation and move them to the done category.

I found that as the card started to develop the outside world of branches and flowers started to take shape with the elegance of the inside world of glittery dress forms, chandeliers and bow-tied keys.  Somehow the two worlds work together in delicate balance.

The dress form is a Memory box die cut and the ribbon was dyed and set with distress ink (tea dye and weathered wood).

I faintly removed sections of the background inking (distress inks: antique linen and weathered wood) by wetting one of my favourite stencils.  You can only just see the script on the bottom left-hand corner in the photo below.  I have said it before, and I will again, working with distress inks is so incredibly versatile.  There is a phenomenal number of techniques possible just from a few ink boxes.  I'm trying to convert the converted I'm sure.  Just sharing my enthusiasm.

Stay tuned for my version of a winter tag swap. 

Happy crafting everyone and thank you for visiting.  And thank you to the anonymous friend who sent me an owl pendant.  I truly love it!

autumn .. the year's last, loveliest smile - william cullen bryant

Autumn has a quiet obscure elegance as the days get noticeably shorter, the colours change and the weather becomes crisp and sharp.  Many people love the change from the heat of summer to Autumn.  Although writers and poets associate fall with human decline in vitality and the decent toward death; the falling leaves and the slow demise of nature as it prepares for its final days (hmm a little dreary dear), there is also a newness related to Autumn.  New pencils, new school clothes, new classrooms, new teachers and some new classmates and the invigorating air brings a freshness and sense of innovation (that's more like it).  

I both love and fear Autumn.  I love the colours, Halloween and cozy socks.  However, I also feel great dismay for the pending winter.  Although born in Canada I cannot seem to make my body or mind accept winter as a positive season.  No matter how hard I try, thoughts of ice and -30 temperatures do not equal yay, good times.  Somehow this year Edmonton has been given a reprieve from an early winter.  Each day that the highs are greater than -15 are a cause for celebration.  I can feel my friends in Ontario and Montréal cringing.  It's a dry -15 which is the east equivalent of -5.  Trust me.  You can still visit after October 1st.

I am entering my Autumn layout in three challenges this month:

1.  Berry 71 Bleu November challenge: Change is beautiful and
2.  Happy Accidents and Turning Leaves for Anything But a Card Challenge #29: Fall into Fall
3.  Ladybug Crafts November Challenge: Autumn Colours

Alex, mr. everythingshetouches and I along with some friends spent a warm and fun-filled September day at the corn maze last year.  Alex and his friend E. started the merriment with a number of jumps from the top of the haystack.  I am saving the photos of Alex and E. for a separate layout so stay tuned (and I need permission from E's mom to share his photo with you).  Alex loved the freedom and silliness of the straw as it came loose from the barrels and I was surprised that the scratchy texture did not phase him as he tossed it in the air and let it fall all over him.  The middle photo is my favourite of the three and I'm so happy that I was able to capture the moment.

I found the leaves and berries at one of the dollar stores in town.  Dollar stores have really improved their stock over the years and a little ingenuity and some imagination does not hurt either.

The berries were attached to the corrugated cardboard with a little raw, unmixed and exposed gel medium.  I wanted the layout to have a little edge and authentic feel.  An Autumn raw crisp feeling.  The Recollections: Tattered and Worn cardstock was cut, distressed with vintage photo and layered on top of gel medium/copper acrylic paint with brick stencil.  I adore the way this corner turned out.  The colours, the lines and the textures really came together.

Using one of my favourite masks: so happy, memories with you, cherished moments I sprayed calypso teal Ranger Dylusions Ink Spray to create an added dimension.

I attached a part of the Pink Paislee treasures cardstock to the background of the layout and added a bit of Gesso for interest and layering.  Layered behind the photos is more corrugated cardboard, playing cards and painted/gel mediumed brick stencil.

My goodness.  I just took an inventory in my head of all the layouts I have to catch up on.  I wish I could say I am only one year behind but that is hardly the reality.  The good news is I do not have to wonder what I should be doing next. 

Thank you for stopping by and peak in again soon.

two layer inspired necklace

A friend was sporting a really truly fabulous necklace this summer.  It was complex and had diversity and fantastic busyness.  And so, I decided to re-create it with a little everythingshetouches' flare.  I don't have a comparison photo for you, however, I promise I was true the concept: two layers with many different hanging beads.  Ét voilà.  My version of the two layer necklace:

Other than figuring out the length of the two strands of chain so that they overlapped without interfering with each other, there was no complicated thoughtful design.  I found great freedom in random beading.  I used gemstone and wood beads and Czech glass pearls.  The diversity in texture, colours, opaqueness, shape and size makes for a very interesting piece, do you agree?

Perhaps December will bring a pair of earrings to make up the jewelry trinity: bracelet, necklace, earrings.

the chemist mixing up a birthday surprise

I special ordered my STAMPERS ANONYMOUS Tim Holtz: The Chemist stamp.  It was love at first sight.  And he arrived just in time to be the centre piece for my dad's birthday card.  I have mad love for the Chemist stamp set.  Is it just me or is there a slight Bryan Cranston resemblance?

I added vintage photo ink blotches and used my Silhouette Cameo teacup stain stencil with black archival ink to create teacup stains (oh, what a messy Chemist) on brown cardstock.  Did you ever watch the 1960-ish video in Chemistry class warning students about the dangers of eating and drinking in the lab because they may accidentally drink the chemical concoction in lieu of apple juice. And how students should never, never ever, use the beakers for apple juice even though all that chemistry makes you down-right thirsty?  I think my Chemist is a bit of a badass and might just drink his earl grey from a beaker.  Tough-guy.  I added bricks with the mini brick stencil by mixing red and brown acrylic paints into gel medium and then highlighted the bricks with copper metallic paint when the medium dried.

I wanted to create multiple physical layers and so I cut out the centre of the card and taped in a sheet of watercolour paper that I ran through watered down distress inks (tea dye and weathered wood).  This is still one of my favourite go-to techniques.  I stamped the formulas onto the watercolour paper and distressed the edges of the centre with black soot.

I had opened the card to work on the front to minimalize the colouration on the inside and the back of the card and decided to decorate the back as well.  Looks like my Chemist did a bit of over-mixing and had an explosion in the lab.  Oh Chemist.

The Chemist was stamped and embossed onto a large Prima tag.  The Prima tags are pre-scripted which gives a nice background and the colouring is perfect for the pale-skinned Chemist who hardly sees the light of day. 

The jars of chemicals were coloured in with watercolours using my distress inks and markers.  I coloured in the Chemist with markers.

Now that my dad and brother's visit has come to an end I'm hoping to ramp up my crafting time.  With Chanukah, Christmas and more birthdays around the corner I have no choice but to roll up the crafting sleeves and get busy.  

Happy crafting everyone.

pj november challenge: the result

It was harder, than I originally thought, to predetermine and limit myself to a prescribed set of crafting tools but that was the challenge for November with PJ Challenge.  I admit I'm very pleased with the result and I now have 4 mini cards (4x4), 4 regular cards (6x6) and 3 tags ready for the winter holidays.  At the end of the day, being restrictive, once I started crafting, was a bit liberating for me.  I know it's counter-intuitive, however, it was true.  All I needed was right in front of me.

Before I get too far ahead of myself I have something to admit: I switched out the fired brick distressed ink for tea dye.  In the planning and preparation the red ink seemed like a natural choice for holiday cards and I thought the little chick could use a red pompom but I decided, in the end, that the fired brick would stand out too much against the rest of the more muted colours.

The 4x4s: I painted the sweet chick, hats and snowman shadows with the distress inks.  The inks are, in addition to many other uses, a fabulous watercolour medium.  And as expected with watercolour, you can play with the density of the colour and if you're unhappy with what you have applied, you can add or take away colour.  I am really becoming a huge watercolour fan.  I feel a watercolour craze settling in.

 

I distress inked a scrap section of the watercolour paper and cut-out the circle snowflakes using a punch.  Love, love, love the result.  Reminds me of images of the planets which is very far off from snowflakes but still has a nice little effect on the card.

 The 6x6s:

I love how this card turned out.  I used the cut-outs from the windows to create little pockets of snowfall.

The tags:

And the paper dust:

Spectacular challenge.  Very productive.  Thank you HK for my sweet little chick.  He is definitely a nice addition to my modest winter-related supplies.  

And thank you for stopping in.  I always appreciate the visit.